


Strong like Titanium

by allthingspieandhockey (SunMonTue)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Check Please Trope Challenge, Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M, Soul Bond, Soul mate, Soulmates, Week 1: soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-19 08:06:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7352827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunMonTue/pseuds/allthingspieandhockey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s uncommon enough that a lot of people don’t even believe it happens. Settled in old-wives’ tales and myths and romance books that make everything fantastical and not-quite real. So most people completely ignore the idea of soul mates and blood that bleeds a different color when you’re touching your soul mate. It’s the original meaning behind a hand-fasting, that little nick of blood meant to show that you took the other person, regardless of whether your blood changed color when it touched their skin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strong like Titanium

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Tumblr omgcp-tropechallenge Week 1 prompt, Soul mates.  
> Inspired by the prompt: where you bleed a different color when touching your soulmate.  
> 1K of Zimbits fluff.  
> I don't own anything related to Check Please, Ngozi is the owner and creator who lets us play.

It’s uncommon enough that a lot of people don’t even believe it happens. Settled in old-wives’ tales and myths and romance books that make everything fantastical and not-quite _real_. So most people completely ignore the idea of soul mates and blood that bleeds a different color when you’re touching your soul mate. It’s the original meaning behind a hand-fasting, that little nick of blood meant to show that you took the other person, regardless of whether your blood changed color when it touched their skin.

Jack has never paid it any attention, never thought about it, because it’s not important. Even less important when he fell in love with Bittle. Of everyone he knows, not a single one of them is with someone who bleeds a different color when they’re touching. He’s never asked Bits what he thinks, and he’s not going to ask, because he doesn’t want Bittle to think he doesn’t love him 100%. Because he does. He doesn’t need a ring in his pocket for it to be hard proof of the fact that he is committed to asking the question. He’s waiting for July 4th, when they’re in Georgia, because he kind of wants to do it under the fireworks because that’s how it feels inside when he thinks of his life with Bittle.

They’ve been together for four years now. It had been rough, especially the first year. It had taken a lot of hard work, from them both. He’ll always feel like Bits has made too many sacrifices for his sake, but he doesn’t think Bits minds, and he has to trust him when Bittle says he doesn’t.

They arrive in Georgia in the middle of a heat wave and escape as fast as they can to the air-conditioned confines of the hire car as quickly as they can. Every time they visit in summer the heat catches Jack unaware, the intensity and humidity fade in his memory and he can never seem to prepare or pack properly for it; something Bits loves chirping him for.

Once they settle in Jack tries to relax a little, but the slightly excited-manic look he gets whenever he catches Suzanne’s eye makes his heart rate notch up a little every time. He’d asked for their blessing in marrying Bits, not that it would stop him if they hadn’t approved whole-heartedly, but he knows that the small gesture will mean a lot to Bits. However he doesn’t know if he can survive another two days with the way Suzanne is looking at him. Bits is going to know something is up.

Despite the air con being left to run all night Jack wakes uncomfortably hot, too much space between him and Bitty because it’s just too _hot_ to even touch. Last summer they’d made judicious use of a little waterhole, that, fortunately, no-one seemed to go to since the pools in Madison had opened. It had been a very _private_ spot.

He kicks the sheet further down the bed, smiling at the mumbled grumbling from the other side and shuffles over, swinging a leg over Bitty’s, knowing the heat will soon be too much but he can enjoy annoying Bittle a little with it.

“Time to wake up…”

“No…”

“Mmm… yes…”

“I don’t wanna…”

Jack chuckles and nuzzles his nose into the soft hair behind Bittle’s ear.

“Sure you do. Come have a shower.”

Bittle turns, squinting up at him in the half-light and Jack grins, feeling everything just _right_ with his entire world and moves to straddle him, grinning down at a slowly wakening boyfriend. Soon to be husband. He sniffs, his nose suddenly running and well _that_ completely ruins the moment.

“Jack! Your nose! Your…”

“Just the heat getting to me,” Jack mutters, reaching for the box of tissues beside the bed. Yet _another_ reason to dislike the intense heat, although probably combined with sitting up too fast and his nasal bones taking a bad hit last season. He wipes at his nose, glad that it’s slowed to a trickle, and glances back at Bitty only to notice that all color has drained from Bitty’s face. There had been a lot of colour before and the sudden lack is quite alarming.

“Bitty! Are you okay?”

“I… _your blood_.”

Jack looks down and his blood smeared hand, blood soaked tissues; looks at the white-knuckled grip Bitty has on his thighs, the wide eyes. The blood on his hand and on the tissues isn’t red like it’s always been in the past, but a brilliant aquamarine.

“Oh.”

He looks at Bitty and then back at his hand, a hysterical laugh escapes and he didn’t think he could have gotten any happier than he had felt five minutes ago but apparently he _can_.

“I love you. I love you so much and…”

He scrambles off the bed, looks at Bitty and then kneels, because _some_ part of this proposal is going to go according to the plan he had in his head. Bitty is sitting in bed, not-quite naked, _staring_ at him like he’s lost his mind, and maybe he has a little.

“Will you marry me? I was going to wait until the fourth, but…”

“Oh my goodness Jack! Of course I will!” He’s suddenly being enveloped in Bitty’s arms and wraps his own arms around Bitty, sliding to sit on the floor.

“Wow… we’re… we’re soulmates,” Jack says, and he wonders if he needs to tell anyone. If anyone will believe them.

“I… I want to know what color I bleed,” Bittle says, and Jack just nods, watches as Bitty searches his desk for something and then comes back with a needle, pressing it quickly into his thumb with sharp intent as he settles his back against Jack’s chest.

He watches as Bittle squeezes his thumb, a bead of dark-metallic-grey appears and Jack had wondered briefly if Bitty was going to bleed gold like sunlight, like his personality, and realizes how much meaning he’s putting on this when he hadn’t even known when he’d woken up. Hadn’t known a year ago when he’d come out after winning the Stanley cup.

“I think we have our wedding colors sorted, don’t you?” Jack murmurs, and the smile Bits gives him is blinding.

**Author's Note:**

> (Bitty's blood is titanium coloured when he's touching Jack - I thought it fitted him, with it being very shiny and bright, but also very very strong, because I think he is).


End file.
